OBJECTIVES

: The objective of this review was to assess models of cost effectiveness for Parkinson’s disease (PD) published after July 2002 and to derive recommendations for future modelling.

METHODS

: A systematic literature search was performed in the databases PubMed, Current Contents, EMBASE, NHS EED (Economic Evaluation Database) and HTA (Health Technology Assessment) of the UK NHS Center for Review and Dissemination) and included all relevant articles published between 2011 and 2017 in English. The Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument was used as basis for quality assessment, but additional items were also addressed.

RESULTS

: The search identified 22 pharmacoeconomic analyses of PD treatments. Most of the identified studies used Markov models.

Costs were adapted to address a societal and/or healthcare provider/third-party payer perspective/University Hospital. More than half of the studies were funded by manufacturer. Few studies reported a PD cost-specific outcome in addition to a generic outcome (mostly QALYs). The mean QHES score was 89.4 (SD: 9.41). The scores ranged from 73 to 98. of Maximum studies had a score between 75 to 100.

CONCLUSIONS

: Cost-effectiveness modelling recommendations were complied with to only a limited extent, leaving room for quality improvement. More advanced modelling approaches may, so far, be underrepresented, but may be used in the future, driven by the research question. Adverse events of treatment, co-morbidities or disease complications are not yet sufficiently included in the models to adequately represent clinical reality.